Has Andre Markgraaff already resigned from his post as SA Rugby Union deputy president, or not?
This was the question being asked late on Sunday amid conflicting media reports earlier in the day.
While some of these suggested the controversial Markgraaff had already left his post, others reported he would make his final decision only on Monday.
In front page stories announcing Markgraaff’s resignation, The Sunday Times and Sunday Independent quoted as their source SA Rugby Union president Brian van Rooyen.
Although Afrikaans weekly Rapport quoted Markgraaff himself as indicating he would tender his resignation only on Monday, the South African Broadcasting Corporation later reported that Van Rooyen had ”confirmed the resignation of Andre Markgraaff”.
According to the Sunday Independent, Van Rooyen received a phone call from on Saturday night in which Markgraaff told him: ”I cannot carry on … I don’t believe that Jake [White, the Bok coach] wants to work with me; he does his own thing. I cannot continue with these public attacks on me week in, week out.”
However, according to Rapport, Markgraaff told the newspaper he would officially resign ”because Brian van Rooyen has stripped me of all my duties behind [my back] in a one-sided decision and in agreement with Jake White”.
Until now Markgraaff has always bounced back — from both threats to resign and even being sacked.
Backing down on his threat this time around could set up a stand-off between him and Van Rooyen.
The latest turn of events in the rugby world has not only taken the gloss off the Springbok victory over the All Blacks (22-16) at Newlands over the weekend, but could bedevil the Boks’ preparations for their crucial away leg of the Tri-Nations.
When the problem came to light at a press conference on Friday, Van Rooyen undertook to attend to it this week.
”We are here to focus on the match [between SA and New Zealand],” Van Rooyen reportedly said.
”We still have some of the Rugby World Cup committee here as well as the IRB representatives so we will deal with this next week.”
By Sunday night, though, he had yet to notify SA Rugby’s media spokesperson Vusi Kama when a meeting about the issue would be called.
Van Rooyen nor Markgraaff were not immediately available for comment on Sunday. – Sapa